The third Australian Football International Cup was held in Melbourne and Warrnambool in 2008, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of what is widely recognised as the first game of Australian Football (though the roots of this and all codes of football go back much further). A record 16 teams attended, with Papua New Guinea defeating New Zealand at the MCG in the Grand Final.

Match reports from every game and various other stories appear below (in reverse chronological order), as well as the tables at the end of the Pool rounds.

9 days to go until the 2011 AFL International Cup. Just to whet the appetite, check out this Youtube video shown at the 2008 AFL International Cup Gala Dinner. Although it focuses a little too much on some "bloopers" I defy any true footy fan to not be inspired.

A collection of photographs featuring Canada's Northwind at the 2008 AFL International Cup has been released. The book was put together by Jen Parker, wife of Canadian footy stalwart Bruce Parker. Profits go to the current Northwind squad to support their 2011 journey.

With the fourth International Cup now just a couple of months away we thought it time to look back at some of the matches from 2008. First up the thrilling Grand Final between the reigning champs New Zealand against the challenger and regular runner up Papua New Guinea. Each quarter is included below. It demonstrates the high standard reached at the top of the competition, with a strong and structurally sound Kiwi team versus the frenetic pace of the PNG players.

Those at the International Cup last year or following the Peace Team on their journey there may have noticed the cameras (and microphones) accompanying the team. That footage has come together in “Tackling Peace” the inspirational story of Israeli and Palestinian youths who unite over the game of Australian football. Along with the players and team staff the program also features Kevin Sheehan, Ron Barassi and Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico.

The documentary narrated by Hugo Weaving premieres on Saturday 4 July 2009 on Network Ten - 1.00pm Sydney & Adelaide, 2.00pm Melbourne & Brisbane, 4.00pm Perth with replays to follow on the ONE digital channel. The film is also featuring as the Opening night Film at the 2009 AICE Australian Film Festival in Jerusalem.

With recent discussion on the 2011 International Cup, it's timely to have a look back at some of the fun the players had at Brauer College in Warrnambool at one of the functions of IC08. This Youtube posting shows the players dancing while IC08 ground announcer Rod "Grilla" Grljusich belts out a song with the Sky Rockats. Watch out for Brian Dixon and his wife Carmel on the dance floor around 2:30.

On Tuesday 26th August the AFL held an International Forum for international footy stakeholders. Convened in the Legends Room at the MCG, the day ran for about four hours and included at least two representatives from each participant country at the International Cup, as well as other people involved in football and multicultural issues. worldfootynews.com was fortunate to have two representatives involved (Troy Thompson and myself) - we ensured we were primarily observers but our thoughts were also welcomed when the representatives broke into smaller groups. The day was facilitated by the AFL's Travis Jackson, who in 2007 spent time working with AFL South Africa in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. In this article we'll briefly discuss some of the issues raised.

Luke Matias played for the British Bulldogs in both the 2005 and 2008 International Cups. After the 2005 IC he stayed on to play top level Amateur football in Melbourne and was featured in this WFN story.

As previously reported, Ireland's key defender Mike Finn (pictured left) was named the top player of the 2008 Australian Football International Cup. He squeezed past Sweden's Andreas Svensson and joint 2005 winner, Samoa's Fia Too-too, both on 7 votes. Below are all the players who received 4 or more votes, which were awarded on the 3-2-1 system by umpires after each match in the 5 round competition.

Remarkably, Finn scored votes in 4 of the 5 rounds, only missing out in Ireland's 98 to nil defeat of Finland in Round 2, a match in which he was rested given his heavy workload, playing in a final the next day for local club Heidelberg. A quick check of their website reveals Finn came 6th in their seniors best and fairest, a great effort at a quality club in a premiership year. Heidelberg play in the Northern Football League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League) in Melbourne. He was also recently married, so it was a huge month for the Irishman.

worldfootynews.com asked China's Team Manager and Australian Football Development Officer, Andrew Sawitsch, his thoughts on the 2008 International Cup from the perspective of the Chinese Red Demons. Overall he felt it was a great experience for both the players and staff, though he left no doubt that a development division was and remains their preference for the lower ranked sides. Sawitsch also has some interesting comments on China's opponents. "Sanga" as he is known, also revealed the surprising country that China formed the closest bond with. His thoughts are given below.

It's also interesting to note that the AFL are currently surveying the countries, asking for feedback on issues such as the pool structure, facilities, host locations (Melbourne and Warrnambool), frequency of the event (3 or 4 years), costs, umpiring and medical assistance, functions and how a junior carnival could be staged.

The International Cup was a great success because of the many people who made it happen, from the AFL Development staff and a range of other people, mostly volunteers including the umpires, trainers and physios, the ground announcer and the alternative as well as official AFL IC 08 media. It also had its scenes, its images, its moments off the field as well as on – that’s footy.